Cooperative Extension: Insect Pests, Ticks and Plant Diseases

Maine Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programs

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a comprehensive, decision-making process for solving pest problems in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings. It is a sustainable approach providing economical control with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

Rather than simply trying to eradicate pests, IPM considers all available information, accounts for multiple objectives, and considers every preventive and curative option. By combining information about pest life cycles and their interaction with the environment with biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools, informed decisions can be implemented to achieve optimum results in ways that minimize economic, health, and environmental risks. IPM can be used wherever pest damage occurs. It has been applied to situations as diverse as houses, apartments, food handling facilities, golf courses, schools and farms.